Improvement in harvesters



L. BARNES.

r Mowing Machine. .N ,046. Patented Jan. 8, 1856.

N. PETERS. .PhotvLithogr-uphan Wishingmn. o. a

, STATES Fries.

' A'rENr IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 14,046, dated January8, 1856.

- form part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents aplanvof a mowing-machine constructed according to my improve- .ment;Fig. 2, a longitudinal front view of the cutter-bar and bar-rest,showing its attachment to the frame of the machine; and Fig. 3, atransverse vertical section of the cutter-bar and bar-rest, taken, forthe most part, as indicated by the line or a: in Fig. 1, but showing thefulcrum-bolt in full and exhibiting its attachment to the fixed framing.The arrows z z in Figs. 1 and 3 indicate the direction of the machinestravel.

In the various machines for cutting down grain or grass, whether actingsimply as mowing-machines or mowing and reaping machines combined,employing cutters of a reciprocatin g character arranged to operatetransversely, or thereabout, to the line of draft, and most generally onone side of it, there is a deadness of action accompanying the out,which, it would appear, almost naturally belonged to amechanically-driven device of that kind, and which a'cutter operated byhand has not, owing to the peculiar organization and elastic characterof the driver, and thus it is that, comparatively for the amount offorce expended, manual labor for such purposes is superior to anautomatic mechanically-driven movement. The jerk, too, attending a quickreciprocating motion is alike injurious to the cutter and machinerywhich drives it or with which it works in connection, and the frictionconsequent upon the jar induces excessive wear and consumes labor. Thislatter defect, however, has been partially remedied by employing springsor weights about the drivinggear to lessen the efl'ect of shockattendant upon the general movement of the parts, but more especiallyupon the stoppage of one stroke and commencement of a new stroke of thecutter or cutters; but these, from the rigid character of the cuttersand from the disposition and arrangement of such springs orcounterbalance-weights, are not immediately felt by the cutter, and,though tending to lessen noise, equalize force, reduce friction, andsave the machinery lrom injurious Wear, the cut itself retains the samedeadness of character which it is the main object of my invention toavoid. To effect this desideratum without making the cutter-barobjection-ably flexible and-without affecting the positive motion of thereciprocating cutter a as due to its operation by a rigid pitman, b,driven by a crank, c, deriving its motion by suitable gear from thefriction of the main running-wheel d on the ground, as usual, I attachby rod 0 direct to the cutter-bar or spring f, pivoted or secured to thefixed frame at a distant or near point, g, and so arranged that thespring, as shown in black, red, and blue lines, Fig. 1, indicating thetwo end and half-way positions of its vibratory motion or travel, shallbe at its inactive point when the cutter is midway of its movement ineither direction, and so that the spring and cutter are kept in suchjoint continuous or partly so motion as that, while the spring graduallyin an increasing way pulls back upon the cutter during the latter partof its travel in the one direction, it pushes or pulls the cutterforward to the same extent of force, but in a reverse graduation, duringthe first part of the cutters travel each stroke, and in this way notonly is no power lost in the operation otthe springs, but a life-likeelastic action is given to thevcutter without limitation as regards thestrength and rigidity of the cutter-bgr, though by the direct connectionand arrangement specified of the spring with the cutter the immediateaction of the spring is felt upon the cutter, the spring having noconnection with the driving-gear otherwise than through the cutter; yetit is obvious that the shock or jar consequent upon stoppage and returnof stroke, with the increase of friction and labor attendent thereon,will be similarly afiected or neutralized as by the spring andcounterbalance-weight arrangements before referred to, and this moreimmediately and importantly so as regards the action'of the cutter. Thusby the immediate and separate attachment of a spring to the cutter,arranged to operate in connection therewith as specified, is a smooth,easy, and life-like action given to the out, which by this means is mademore steady and natural, and that deadness peculiar to an automaticmechanically-driven cutter is avoided through the same rigidity of thecutter-bar and its positive motion by a rigid driver is preserved. Theadvantageous effect in practice of this improvement is greater, as Ihave proved, than might appear due to it in theory, though a carefulinvestigation into the merits of item here set forth must convince themost skeptical that a spring having its fulcrum separate from thedriving-gear and acting as specified in concert with the cutter must ofnecessity produce an advantageous result.

Of course a spring or springs of different build and otherwise arrangedmay be employed Without departing from the character of my invention-as,for instance,acoiled spring may be let into the cutter-bar rest and beattached at its one end to the cutter-bar intermediate ofits length, orother arrangements equivalent in effect may be adopted.

Where two reciprocating cutters are used,

7 simultaneously moving in opposite directions,

a separate spring arrangement of the character described may be appliedto each.

Another defect incidental to the cut in bars operating as described isthe want of an easy self-adjustability of the cutter-bar to the varyingaltitudes and irregularities of the ground in direction of the cutterslength to insure the same height of cut from the ground all over thefield, and this is of most importance in the mowing of grass, &c.Various flexible frames and other arrangements have been devised toeffect, this but practically Without avail, or but imperfectly so. Iobtain this desired result by hinging freely the cutter-bar rest It by ajoint or hinge-pin, s, to a bracket, 70, or its equivalent, connectedwith the frame on in such a manner that the cutter or cutters (for one,two, or more may be employed) and cutter-bar rest being supported by theteeth or fingers y, acting as runners on the ground or being otherwiseequivalently supported, will rise and fall freely throughout theirlength on the hingepin s as a fulcrum or center according to the slopeor inequalities of the ground, the cutter and its appurtenances thusbeing hung, as it were, on a hinge at its one end. This forms a simple,practical, and perfectly free mode of hanging thecutters to insure anevenness of cut so desirable in mowing, 85c.

\Vhat I claim as new and useful herein, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

The application to the reciprocating cutterbar of a mowing-machine orreaper of a spring or springs driven by or operating in connection withthe cutter, essentially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub-- scribed my name.

L. BARNES. WVitnesses \VM. M. SMITH, A. GREGORY.

